Vehicle transmissions generally include one or more clutches for performing various functions. A clutch generally uses friction to rotatably couple two different elements, for example, rotatably coupling an input shaft to an output shaft. The clutches in the vehicle are engaged in accordance with vehicle speed and engine load conditions so that the transmission is upshifted to successively lower numerical gear ratios as the speed of the vehicle is increased, and downshifted to successively higher numerical gear ratios as the speed of the vehicle is decreased. The clutches generally employed in transmissions are fluid-actuated plate clutches having a series of spaced friction plates. Plate clutches are typically controlled with a variable rate of slip such that the state of the plate clutch can range from fully-applied (no slip at clutch) to fully-released (no limitation or control on clutch slip), as well as anywhere in between these two states.